Index
- What is varicocele?
- Prognosis of the disease
- Symptoms of varicocele
- Medical tests for varicocele
- What are the causes of varicocele?
- Can it be prevented?
- Treatments for varicocele
- What specialist treats it?
What is a varicocele?
A varicocele is a lump formed by a varicose vein (an unusually swollen vein) or a group of varicose veins, usually located in the scrotum or in the spermatic cord. There is also female varicocele, when dilatation occurs in the ovarian veins and produces pelvic varicose veins.
It usually develops during the course of puberty, most often on the left side of the scrotum, and although it is generally not harmful, in some people it can damage the testicles or decrease sperm production.
Prognosis of the disease
Varicocele is not a serious disease, but it is a frequent cause of low sperm production and therefore can lead to sterility or infertility. In some cases, varicocele can cause the testicles to shrink (arthrophy) and not develop normally.
Symptoms of varicocele
Varicocele is usually asymptomatic, but in some cases it may cause pain that varies from mild discomfort to sharp pain and increases throughout the course of the day and with standing or physical exertion.
Over time, the varicocele grows and becomes more obvious.
Varicocele may cause severe pain that worsens throughout the day.
Medical tests for varicocele
The diagnosis of varicocele is made by a specialist urologist or andrologist, who performs a physical examination to look for the firm mass in the testicle characteristic of varicocele. If the examination is inconclusive, a scrotal ultrasound may be required.
What are the causes of varicocele?
Varicocele is caused by swelling of a vein or varicose vein within the spermatic cord, which carries blood to the testicles. This swelling can impede blood flow to the testicles and affect fertility.
The cause of the venous swelling that causes varicocele is unknown.
Can it be prevented?
There are no risk factors associated with varicocele and it cannot be prevented.
Treatments for varicocele
In many cases, varicocele does not need treatment: it is a grade of varicocele that has no symptoms and does not affect fertility.
In the event that a testicular varicocele causes symptoms of pain and/or causes infertility, a surgical intervention, called varicocelectomy, is performed, which consists of cutting the affected veins to allow blood to flow through healthy veins. It is performed on an outpatient basis and under general anesthesia, being able to resume daily activities a few days later, as well as the pain symptoms will subside within a few days or weeks.
An alternative to surgery is percutaneous embolization of the varicocele, which makes a much smaller incision and consists of placing a catheter inside the vein.
What specialist treats it?
The andrologist is the specialist in charge of the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies of the testicles and sexual organs, although the patient can also go to the urologist’s office for revision and diagnosis. In cases of varicocele in adolescence, it is possible that the pediatrician may be the one who notices this pathology, since in many cases it develops during puberty.